Cardinals Honour Red With Memorial Patch

Ten-time National League All-Star, two-time World Series Champion and Baseball Hall of Famer Albert “Red” Schoendienst died earlier this month at the age of 95.

Schoendienst, a second baseman, spent 15 of 19 Major League seasons as a player with the St. Louis Cardinals before continuing with the club as manager for twelve seasons (including a World Title in 1967) and eventually as a coach and special advisor right up until his death. In all, Schoendienst spent 74 consecutive seasons as either a Major League player, manager, or coach – with his career spanning from 1945 through 2018. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1989, and the Cardinals retired his number 2 in 1996.

To honour the memory of their longtime friend, the St. Louis Cardinals announced shortly after his death that the team would wear a special patch on their uniform sleeve for the remainder of the 2018 season. Much like the patch the club wore for fellow Cardinal legend Stan Musial in 2013 the patch features Schoendienst’s number 2 in red within a red and white circle, his signature scrawled across both the number and circle in navy blue.

“Red Schoendienst was one of the most beloved figures in the rich history of the St. Louis Cardinals”, Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a release. “The connection between Red and the fans of St. Louis spanned multiple generations and he was a wonderful ambassador for our game.”

In addition to his 67 years with the Cardinals, Schoendienst also played with the New York Giants and Milwaukee Braves winning a World Series there in 1957 and eventually inducted as a member of their “Honor Roll” at Miller Park in 2015. Following his stint as manager of the Cardinals in the 1970s, Schoendienst served as a coach with the Oakland Athletics for two seasons.